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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · wave · plane · nail · spell · race · sharp · wound

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bore — to tire
  5. race — a contest
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spell — magic
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. plane — a tool
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. sharp — clever
  20. spell — a short time
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. race — the arms race
  23. spell — letters
  24. race — humankind

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com